Iran's president Hassan Rouhani on a screen as a United Nations interpreter provides translation of his speech during the 74th session of the General Assembly in New York, 25 September 2019. (Keystone/EPA/Justin Lane)

🤙Cuts to sign language and interpretation spark pushback at UN rights council. Countries at the UN rights body protested a decision to suspend accessibility and limit interpretation services for meetings as the UN struggles with a liquidity crunch.

🏢 International Geneva crisis could disrupt the real estate market. Experts warn that the shrinking of international organisations' presence in Geneva could lead to increased supply of office space in the United Nations neighbourhood, with complicated ownership models making it difficult to plan proactively or adapt.

👥WHO executive board adopts new efficiency measures, but can they stick? The measures, aimed at saving both member states and the agency time and money, come amid mounting tensions amongst member states, with an increasing share of discussion time consumed by a handful of highly politicised items.

📅Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ sets date to meet in Washington, officials say. The new group, which the US president says intends to resolve global conflicts but analysts see as a direct attempt to create a rival to the United Nations, is scheduled to meet on 19 February.

💰US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN, ambassador says. In an exclusive interview, Mike Waltz said the amount would be decided in the coming weeks. It follows secretary general António Guterres’s warning last month of the world body’s “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid fees – the majority owed by the US.